Golf harness



Dec, 28, 1%7. J w. L. WEBSTER 2,103,502

GOLF HARNESS Filed June 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4, AI. ,4. MM. ,5 hi5. Of/Ermay Dec. 28,1937. J. w. WEBSTER;

GOLF HARNESS Filed June 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hf. 854F041 hi6 afirney Patented Dec. 28, 1937 PATENT OFFICE GOLF HARNESS John William Leo Webster, Liverpool, England Application June 22, 1936, Serial No. 86,563 In Great Britain July 2, 1935 Claims. (Cl. 27335) This invention relates to'an improved harness to be fitted on a player and which will enable him better to control and directthe swing of a golf club. Theapparatus is of particular use in teaching and practicinggolf strokes and as an aid to golfers in correctly performing the swing of the club.

According to this invention the harness comprises a girdle or body belt of anysuitable material adjustable as to girth and adapted to be fastened tightly on the body immediately below the hips as by means of a buckle or the like. A rein or cord is connected to the girdle provided at its outer end with means for detachably connecting it to the neck of a golf club. Means are also provided for adjusting the effectivelength of the rein. Preferably a plate or the like is secured on the girdle in that positionsuch that it will be immediately below the left hip when the girdle is in place, the plate having an aperture through which passes the rein or cord and the outer end of the rein is formed as a contractible loop for connecting it to the neck of the golf club head.

To enable the rein to work smoothly over the body 7 25, during the swing'of the club, there may be revolubly mounted at its inner part near the girdle, a series of small balls, beads or a length of rubber tubing, and the plate or the like on the belt may carry a short helical spring forming a-flexible 30; branch at the aperture in the plate through which the cord passes. 1'

- With such an arrangement the girdle having been positionedto grip the'body of the player immediately below the hips and the outer end of 35; the rein connected to the golf club neck, the golfer takes up his stance with the club head in a position of address immediately behind the ball. The effective length of the rein is then adjusted by drawing it taut, and its inner end secured to 40 the buckle on the'girdle. The harness is thus set for controlling and directing the swing of the club correctly.

A harness in accordance with this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accom- 45 panying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the harness showing the body girdle, adjustable rein orcord and an anti-friction tube covering the inner part of the rein, and

50 Fig. 2 is a view showing the harness in use by the golf player. 7

The girdle I is adapted to be tightly secured round the body immediately below the hips, as shown in Fig. 2, being adjustable as to girth by 55 means of buckles 2 and 3. The girdle may be made up of one or more bands of any suitable material such as leather, rubber, webbing, plaited cord or the like, and in order that it may offer an effective grip round the body of the player against displacement it may be lined, if desired, 5 with, some material having a rough surface. Secured on the girdle insuch a position that itwill be immediately below the left hip of the player when the girdle is in position is a plate element t secured, say by rivets ,5, and in the 10 plate element and the girdle are apertures through which the rein or cord 6 passes. A short length of helical spring 7 fixed on the plate forms a flexible tubular branch from the aperture through which the cord passes, and to ensuresmooth running of the rein over the clothes of the golfer during use, a length of rubber tubing 8 is threaded over the rein at the inner part, beads 9 being also threaded on the cord abutting against each end of the tubing, and such tubing and beads are '20 adapted to be held together and against the end of the spring I by means of a rubber sleeve 10 which is adapted to fit frictionally tight on the cord in such manner that when pushed up against the outer bead 9 it will hold the beads and the tube closely together. A wire ring H indicated by the dotted lines may be inserted beneath the rolled back end of the sleeve III to augment the frictional grip of the tube-I0 on the rein. The outer end of therein is formed as a loop l2 for detachably engaging round the neck l3 of the club It, as shown in Fig. 2, and this loop is arranged to be contractible in order to enable it to be. readily passed over the club shaft and then i htenedmund the neck by means of a-rubber or the like sleeve l5 preferably braced at each end with metallic or other rings I6. The inner end of the rein passes in and out through eyelets H in the girdle and after its correct length has been adjusted, it is threaded to and fro under a buckle l8 slidable on the girdle and pulled tight by the knob 19., In using the apparatus the belt l is first tightened round the body of the player as shown in Fig; 2 by means of the buckle 2, the plate 4 being set in such a position that it is immediately below the left hip point of the golfer.- The contractible loop I2 is then tightened round the neck I3 of the golf club I4 and the'player takes up his stance with the club head in a correct po- V sition of address, the left arm being straight.

Therein is now made taut while'the club is retained in this position and its inner end secured under the buckle l8. In this way the rein may be suitably adjusted to the correct length for any particular club being used, and during the up and down swing of the club, the plate 4 will be the centre of a circle a through which the club head will be constrained to swing, the radius being defined by the length of the rein I, and the distance between the left hip point 4 and the club head will of necessity be the same at every point of the swing. Any slight lateral movement of the players body and the hip point during the swing will slightly displace this central point of the circle a, but the distance between the club head and the left hip point, if the rein be always kept taut, will remain constant, the hip point and club head moving simultaneously a similar lateral distance during the up swing. Consequently also on the downward stroke, if the rein be kept taut, the club head must come back to the original correct address position at the moment of impact on the ball, and the golfer is thus enabled with mechanical precision to groove his swing.

By arranging that the plate 5 is of somewhat circular section and that its upper limb projects slightly above the upper edge of the girdle I, as shown in Fig. l, a deeper vertical contact area of the plate against the body is provided, which tends to prevent deflection of the plate during the upward swing of the club, and the short length of helical spring ll providing a flexible branch for the inner end of the cord where it emerges from the aperture in the plate preserves the cord against abrasion. Preferably the ends of the rubber tube 8 are reinforced with metal caps 9a to ensure a freer revoluble action of the 7 tube taking place which is assisted by the contact of these metallic ends with the revoluble beads 9. In place of the tubing 8 a number of beads or short lengths of tube may be threaded on the rein.

I claim:

1. A personal harness for use in controlling and directing the swing of a golf club, comprising, a hip girdle having means for adjusting its girth and securing it tightly around the hips of the golfer, a rein or cord connected at one end to the girdle at the left hip of the golfer when the girdle is secured in position, means for adjusting the effective length of the rein and for detachably connecting its outer end to the neck of the golf club, whereby if the rein be kept taut the club head is constrained to swing in a circle about the golfers left hip.

2. A personal harness for use in controlling and directing the swing of a golf club, comprising, a hip girdle having means for adjusting its girth and securing it tightly around the hips of the golfer, a rein or cord connected at one end to the girdle at the left hip of the golfer when the girdle is secured in position, an element slidable on the girdle to which the rein is connected, an aperture in the girdle through which the rein passes, means for adjusting the effective length of the rein and for detachably connecting its outer end to the neck of the golf club, whereby if the rein be kept taut the club head is constrained to swing in a circle about the golfers .left hip.

3. A personal harness for use in controlling and directing the swing of a golf club, comprising, a hip girdle having means for adjusting its girth and securing it tightly around the hips of the golfer, a rein or cord connected at one end to the girdle at the left hip of the golfer when the girdle is secured in position, a plate on the girdle carrying a short length of helical spring through which the rein passes, means for adjusting the effective length of the rein and for detachably connecting its outer end to the neck of the golf club, whereby if the rein be kept taut the club head is constrained to swing in a circle about the golfers left hip.

4. A personal harness for use in controlling and directing the swing of a golf club, comprising, a hip girdle having means for adjusting its girth and securing it tightly around the hips of the golfer, a rein or cord connected at one end to the girdle at the left hip of the golfer when the girdle is secured in position, an element or ele ments revolubly mounted on the inner part of the rein near the girdle, means for adjusting the effective length of the rein and for detachably connecting its outer end to the neck of the golf club, whereby if the rein be kept taut the club head is constrained to swing in a circle about the golfers left hip.

5. A personal harness for use in controlling and directing the swing of a golf club, comprising, a hip girdle having means for adjusting its girth and securing it tightly around the hips of the golfer, a rein or cord connected at one end to the girdle at the left hip of the golfer when the girdle is secured in position, a rubber tube revolubly mounted on the inner part of the rein near the girdle, means for adjusting the effective length of the rein and for detachably connecting its outer end to the neck of the golf club, whereby if the rein be kept taut the club head is constrained to swing in a circle about the golfers left hip.

JOHN WILLIAM LEO WEBSTER. 

